HOW DRINKING MORE WATER CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

You’ve probably heard it more than once: drinking more water will help you lose more weight. But does water really help weight loss? The short answer is yes. Drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of waste, and acts as an appetite suppressant. Also, drinking more water helps your body stop retaining water, leading you to drop those extra pounds of water weight. What can you do to make sure you’re drinking the recommended eight to ten eight-ounce glasses per day to keep yourself hydrated and encourage weight loss?

STEP 1: DRINK BEFORE YOU EAT

Because water is an appetite suppressant, drinking it before meals can make you feel fuller, therefore reducing the amount of food you eat. Health resource website WebMD states that drinking water before meals results in an average reduction in intake of 75 calories per meal. Drinking water before just one meal per day would cause you to ingest 27,000 fewer calories per year. Do the math: You'd lose about eight pounds per year just from drinking water! Now imagine if you drank it before each meal. Our Gaiam Stainless Steel Water Bottle is a great way to make sure you are getting the right amount of water before a meal.

STEP 2: REPLACE CALORIE-FILLED DRINKS WITH WATER

Ditch the sodas and juice and replace them with water to help you lose weight. If you think water tastes boring, add a slice of lemon. A glass of water with lemon is a recipe for successful weight loss because the pectin in lemons helps reduce food cravings. Think water doesn’t really help with weight loss? Give up those sugary drinks for just a few weeks and see the difference.

STEP 3: DRINK IT ICE COLD

According to the editorial staff at WebMD, drinking ice cold water helps boost your metabolism because your body has to work harder to warm the water up, therefore burning more calories and helping you to lose weight. Plus, ice cold water is just so much more refreshing than water that’s room temperature. Our new 32 oz. Stainless Steel Wide Mouth Water Bottles merge style with functionality and can ultimately give you the tools you need to start losing weight and boosting your metabolism.

merge style with functionality and can ultimately give you the tools you need to start losing weight and boosting your metabolism.

STEP 4: HIT THE GYM

Because drinking water helps prevent muscle cramps and keeps your joints lubricated, you can work out longer and harder. Just another way that proper hydration helps you lose weight. Whether you prefer Rodney Yee’s calm guidance or Jillian Michaels’ intense push, we have plenty of options to make your weight loss strategy fit your busy lifestyle.

STEP 5: MAKE SURE YOU DRINK ENOUGH WATER

If you really want the water you drink to help you lose weight, you should follow the “8x8” rule recommended by most nutritionists: Drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day for weight loss and to maintain an ideal weight. You might need to drink more water if you exercise a lot or sweat heavily, or less water if you drink other beverages like herbal tea (make sure they are decaffeinated).

Trent Nessler, PT, DPT, MPT, managing director of Baptist Sports Medicine in Nashville, says the amount of water you need depends on your size, weight, and activity level. He adds that you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.

How do you know if you’re getting enough water? A general rule is to check the toilet after you’ve gone to the bathroom. You’ll know you’re well-hydrated if your urine is clear or very light yellow in color. The darker your urine, the more water you need to drink, especially if weight loss is your goal. Try this Water Intake Calculator to see if you're staying hydrated enough for your weight loss goals!

This Equation Shows You Exactly How Many Calories You Should Be Eating a Day

Don't eyeball it, calculate it.

Everyone has been told that calorie-counting is the most effective way of lowering the scale and cutting the pounds. An average woman is said to require about 2000 calories per day to maintain a certain weight, and 1500 calories to lose one pound of weight per week. The average male is similar, but slightly raised: he needs 2500 calories to maintain, and 2000 to lose one pound of weight per week. The general rule of thumb deemed by society is to exercise more and eat less.
However, the math is not quite that simple. These rough estimations don’t consider numerous factors that would significantly sway the numbers: age, height, weight, or activity levels. While you may think that frequent exercise is the best way to lose weight, it is not a transmutable technique for eating smart. (These are other weight-losing myths you need to stop believing).
Fortunately, calorie counting doesn’t have to be a total guessing game. Instead of using exercise as a mere safety net for your eating habits, use this elementary equation to pinpoint exactly how many calories you need per day.
The calculation is called the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a formula that has been shown to be the most accurate way of estimating calorie needs in numerous studies by the ADA (American Dietetic Association).

Begin by getting an idea of your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your body must breathe, blink, grow cells, and keep your heart beating on a daily basis. Staying alive isn’t an easy task, and it needs calories to do so. This number reflects an estimate of how many calories you would burn if you were to be hypothetically resting in a sedentary state for 24 hours. In other words, it represents the minimum amount of energy mandated to keep your body barely functioning, i.e. breathing and pumping blood.
For men, the equation is as follows: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5. The equation is slightly different for women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161.
For example, if you were a 140-pound, 30-year-old, 5-foot-6 woman, your BMR calculation would look like this: 10 x (63.5) + 6.25 x (167.6) – 5 x (30) – 161 = 1,371.5.
Use this BMR number as the foundational reference point for safe weight loss. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, your calories should never dip below 1,200. Doing so could mean your muscle mass starts decreasing, which means you won’t have enough energy to fuel daily activities.
Now that we’ve figured out the bare minimum of calories your body demands, we can’t forget to account for the actual things you do throughout the day that burn these calories; walking to work, playing sports, doing yoga, or even watching TV all strip away those units of energy you consume. An easy way to do so is via this interactive calculator from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that incorporates your activity level and BMR to give you an estimate of how much you should eat in order to maintain your current weight.

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However, if you want to do it yourself, here is a general map to follow. The final number is the recommended calorie consumption per day—tailored just for you:
BMR x 1.2 for low intensity activities and leisure activities (primarily sedentary)
BMR x 1.375 for light exercise (leisurely walking for 30-50 minutes 3-4 days/week, golfing, house chores)
BMR x 1.55 for moderate exercise 3-5 days per week (60-70% MHR for 30-60 minutes/session)
BMR x 1.725 for active individuals (exercising 6-7 days/week at moderate to high intensity (70-85% MHR) for 45-60 minutes/session)
BMR x 1.9 for the extremely active individuals (engaged in heavy/intense exercise like heavy manual labor, heavy lifting, endurance athletes, and competitive team sports athletes 6-7 days/week for 90 + minutes/session)
After all that, it’s important to note that this number isn’t necessarily something you should streamline your collective focus into. Although this does stand as the ideal formula to use as a guideline, weight loss boils down to more than just a number. Living your healthiest life doesn’t equate to shedding pounds, and obsessively counting calories can spiral one into an overly compulsive diet with dangerous downfalls. The induced stress can actually raise your cortisol levels, making it even harder for you to lose weight.
In essence, be conscious of your healthy caloric intake, but it’s wiser to concentrate on what you’re eating than how much. Your body knows best what it wants, so if it’s asking for fuel, indulge it, don’t spoil it. 

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